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ICPC Foundation (Amritapuri & Kanpur regional sites) · Paid competitionICPC India Regionals 2026–27
The oldest and most prestigious collegiate programming contest in the world. Registration for the India regionals closed on 25 September and the common online India Preliminary ran on 3 October; Amritapuri notifies its onsite shortlist by 15 October, ahead of onsite regionals in December and January.
Dates & timeline
Prizes
- ₹3 lakh prize pool at the Amritapuri regional
- Top regional teams advance toward the ICPC World Finals
- The world's oldest collegiate programming contest
- 380 onsite team slots at Amritapuri alone
- 20 onsite slots reserved for women's teams at Amritapuri
Why it's worth your time
The International Collegiate Programming Contest has run since the 1970s and is the one competitive-programming credential every serious engineering team recognises without explanation. Teams of three share a single machine against a five-hour problem set; a regional rank is a hard, public, externally verifiable signal in a way practice-site ratings are not.
Registration now closes on 25 September 2026 at both sites, which is a change worth flagging: IIT Kanpur has extended its deadline from 15 September to 25 September at 5:00pm IST, with the ₹1,500 fee payable by 26 September at 5:00pm IST. Amritapuri also closes on 25 September. India then runs a common online preliminary on 3 October 2026 shared across the regional sites, then onsite regionals: IIT Kanpur's on 22–23 December (Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Pune) and Amritapuri's on 1–2 January 2027 (Kollam, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Mysuru). Amritapuri alone has 380 onsite team slots and carries a ₹3 lakh prize pool. Because you may enter up to two sites, the extension means you can now register for both on the same day — but treat 25 September as hard and do not count on a further extension.
Honest note on the fees: ₹1,500 per team per site is a legitimate registration fee charged by the official regional sites — split three ways it is ₹500 each, and you may register for a maximum of two sites. Kanpur additionally charges ₹4,500 per team to teams that qualify from the preliminary to its onsite regional, so budget for that before you enter rather than after you qualify.
How to apply
Form a team of three from your institute and find a faculty coach — both are ICPC requirements.
Register on the official regional sites — both kanpur.indiaicpc.in and amritaicpc.in now close on 25 September, and Kanpur's fee must be paid by 26 September at 5:00pm IST. You may enter up to two sites.
Sit the common online India Preliminary on 3 October.
Qualify to an onsite regional in December (Kanpur) or January (Amritapuri) and compete for the World Finals path.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ₹1,500 fee legitimate?
Yes — it is the official team registration fee charged by the ICPC regional sites in India, per team per site (maximum two sites). It is not a pay-to-win scheme. Kanpur charges a further ₹4,500 per team if you qualify from the preliminary to its onsite regional.
When exactly does registration close?
Both India sites now close on 25 September 2026. IIT Kanpur has extended its registration deadline from 15 September to 25 September at 5:00pm IST, with fee payment due by 26 September at 5:00pm IST; Amritapuri closes on 25 September as well. Both then sit the same online India Preliminary on 3 October. The dates moved once already, so confirm on the site you are entering rather than relying on a date you read a week ago — and do not assume another extension.
Can first- and second-years enter?
Yes — ICPC eligibility is university-enrolment based, and entering early is common: the preliminary experience alone sharpens a team for later years.
Why does ICPC matter more than online ratings?
Because it is a supervised, team-based, externally run contest with public standings — an interviewer can verify your rank in seconds, which is exactly what makes it a strong proof-of-work signal.
Official links
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